Inauguration

TV viewers had a message for President Obama and his second inauguration: Been there, seen that. Ratings on the three cable news networks Monday plunged compared with four years ago, when Obama was swept into office on a message of hope and change. A combined total of 6.7 million viewers watched CNN, Fox News and MSNBC during the half-hour starting at 8:45 a.m. Pacific time, when a reelected Obama took the oath of office and gave his address. That was a 61% drop compared with the same period in 2009.

The world may never know just what, exactly, was coming through the speakers during Beyonce's performance of the national anthem at Obama's second inaugural Monday. Fans and critics applauded her virtuoso take on "The Star-Spangled Banner," but then sources at the U.S. Marine Band confirmed that she had used a pre-recorded version , a common practice for large televised events (especially those held outdoors in cold temperatures). It's still unclear whether or not she used an entire backing track and lip-synced, or used a mix of live and pre-recorded vocals.

President Obama outlined a bold vision for his second term, but things got off to a slow start when it came to TV ratings. Viewing for Obama's second inauguration on Monday tumbled 46% compared with his first swearing-in back in 2009, according to Nielsen. This time, 20.6 million tuned in. (Nielsen counted viewing on 18 networks, including the big broadcasters and the Spanish-language networks.) However, ratings for second inaugurals almost always dip compared with their predecessors.

The California Homemade Food Act went into effect Jan. 1, which allows certain foods prepared in home kitchens, such as breads, granola, pies and jams, to be sold to restaurants, shops and directly to customers. Los Angeles residents looking to sell homemade goods can learn how to get their products on the market, in accordance with requirements and regulations, at a Craft Food Forum on Sunday at 3 p.m. The event will be held at California State Fullerton's Grand Central Art Center where KCRW Good Food host Evan Kleiman and the Orange County Department of Health will discuss the new law and important implementations, such as inspections and product labeling, so those wanting to finally launch a business selling homemade foods -- now that it's legal -- can do so successfully.

Mexicans and Mexican Americans have been weighing in about the performance of Mexican superstar rock band Maná at an inaugural ball for President Obama. The consensus so far? It was a good night for rock en español -- and a smart political move as well. In numerous tweets, Mexican Americans and other Latinos expressed their feelings of pride in witnessing the band playing for the Oval Office occupant. "Makes you proud to be hispanic!" wrote a young woman with the Twitter name "anais.

The complaints of congressional Republicans that President Obama's inaugural address sent them no bouquets and love letters show a lot of gall, given the history of the last four years. Obama's inauguration speech in 2009 was crammed with language about bipartisan cooperation and ending the political rancor in Washington and what did he get for it? First, he got Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's declaration that the paramount priority of his caucus was to make Obama a one-term president.

Beyonce had belted her last note and President Obama, newly sworn in for a second term, had grabbed his last hand and given his last hug. But as he walked off the inauguration platform and through an archway to the Capitol, the president turned again to face the people who came to see him. "I want to take a look one more time," Obama said, stopping his Secret Service detail. He smiled, eyes fixed in the distance. "I'm not going to see this again. " What Obama saw was a throng of Americans filling their capital on Monday.

January 22, 2013 | By Randall Roberts, Los Angeles Times Pop Music Critic, This post has a correction. See below for details

One particular moment stood out during Barack Obama's first four years as a musical-minded president, and he delivered it in sweet falsetto. Offered with casual confidence at the Apollo Theater in Harlem almost exactly a year ago at a fundraiser, the president of the United States cooed the melody from "Let's Stay Together" by the Rev. Al Green. It was a mere three words along with an introductory wail - "Heeey, let's stay together" - but within it lay a quote packed with subtext.

This morning, staff writer Hector Tobar and I talked about Monday's presidential inauguration through the filter of its writing, paying particular attention to President Obama's inaugural address , and the commemorative poem, "One Today," by Richard Blanco. See the video below. We started by discussing expectations, and the sense that an inaugural speech ought to rise above the concerns of daily politics to address instead the soul of the country, to instill a touch of poetry, if you will.

Barbara Walters is on the road to recovery after taking a tumble at an inauguration party over the weekend. "Barbara went to Washington to cover the inauguration," Whoopi Goldberg, her co-host on "The View," said on the show Tuesday. "She missed a step and had a fall, which cut her upper temple. The doctors stitched her up, and she is doing fine, but they want her to take it easy. " The fall occurred Saturday when the ABC News veteran fell on a stair at the British ambassador's residence in Washington.